Wi-Fi is a popular technology that allows an electronic device to exchange data wirelessly (using radio waves) over a computer network, including high-speed Internet connections. Wi-Fi may be broadly defined as any wireless local area network (WLAN).
A device that can use Wi-Fi (such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, tablet, or digital audio player) can connect to a network resource, such as the Internet, via a wireless network access point. Such an access point (or hotspot) has a range of about 20 meters (65 feet) indoors and a greater range outdoors. Wi-Fi also allows communications directly from one computer to another without an access point intermediary. This is called ad hoc Wi-Fi transmission. This wireless ad hoc network mode has proven popular with multiplayer handheld game consoles and other consumer electronics devices. Some devices can also share their Internet connection using ad-hoc Wi-Fi transmission, becoming hotspots or “virtual routers.” Computers may also communicate directly using other wireless radio frequency technologies such as Bluetooth®.
Numerous wireless network access points may be concurrently accessible to an electronic device. Each may provide a network connection at varying bandwidths, at varying speeds, and at varying prices. Typically, a wireless network access point connects an electronic device to an adjacent wired LAN. Alternatively, the wireless network access point may connect to network resources, such as the internet, using far range frequencies to communicate with cellular towers or even satellites. For example, cellular phones may wirelessly connect to a network resource over a much greater wireless range using a cellular network. A cellular network is a radio network using varying radio frequencies over land areas called cells. Each cell is served by at least one fixed location transceiver (e.g., radio/cell tower). Radio waves are used to transfer signals between the fixed location transceiver and the cell phone. The transceiver may pass signals along to other cellular capable devices within the cell, to another transceiver, or to a wired network connection. Smartphones that have the capability to become a “hotspot” typically allow other devices to connect to the smartphone through Wi-Fi technology, and provide internet access to a connecting device through a cellular network.
Generally, an electronic device can discover available access points, display them to a user, and the user can manually select which access point to establish a network connection through. Additionally, many electronic devices have a default network connection to utilize. For example, a computing device may have a default Wi-Fi connection to a home router. A smartphone, on the other hand, may have a default connection to an available cellular tower via an electromagnetic frequency. The use of the default connection is often governed by a contract specifying a monthly amount of data that may be transferred to and from the computing device (referred to herein as a “data plan”). The computing device may be “capped” or limited by the contracted for amount of data. Overages are often prohibited or charged extra for. Typically, the fee corresponding to unused data is not refunded.